Who’s Watching the Store in Ohio and Elsewhere?

12/1004 | DIM1

[DIM1]

To All,

The biggest mistake we - or anyone in a serious conflict - can make is to underestimate ones' opponents . Plenty of very smart people have put their minds in the service of crazy ends (Stalin, Hitler, Marx, etc). It's only safe to laugh about your enemy if you have enough sense to also fully appreciate their strengths. Otherwise you're setting yourself up for disaster - if not this time - the next.

The best to you!
DIM1

[StJacques]

Thanks for the kind words DIM.

I have a question for you or anyone else viewing this thread who may be able to answer.

While you have put up a discussion of the security issues surrounding the machines, is there any additional information available surrounding the ballots, by which I mean do we know how they are stored, under what security conditions, etc.? It occurs to me that the ballots themselves are the primary source of information on who won the election and, if the machines were tinkered with after the election to boost Bush's vote totals, the results would be higher numbers for Bush than those recorded on election night and in the official tally, which would demonstrate post-election mischief on the part of someone messing with the machines immediately. If on the other hand, the machines were tinkered with to lower Bush's totals, the ballots could be handcounted to show the error and the machines themselves would then be examined and it would again show that there was mischief. For these reasons the security of the ballots themselves are a vital issue.

I would especially want to know whether the ballots are kept in individual counties in Ohio or whether they may be sent to a central storage facility, which I would assume would be the Secretary of State for Ohio. I would also like to know what is required to access those ballots. Does Ohio have anything like Florida's "Sunshine Law" that guarantees easy public access to the ballots? Is it possible that the ballots themselves can be messed with before qualified observers get a chance to see them? If they are kept in a central location, is there any way the ballots can be destroyed or otherwise compromised so as to make tinkering with the machines a potentially-successful scam?

I can only hope that both the machines and ballots are secure. I have little doubt that someone within the Democratic Party is considering a scenario under which they could mess with both and sow the seeds of discontent.

If anyone reading this knows any of the Ohio Freepers we can ping to bring into this discussion who could help, I would appreciate it. Thanks!

[rollo tomasi]

I always keep an extra roll of tin foil on me just in case.

The EC has voted, for Kerry, the fat lady already left the building a month ago. Recounts at this point is a waste of money and there is absolutely no way Ohio EC votes can be thrown out.

[HitmanLV]

Relax.